03/07/2024
Chapter 5 of "Barefoot to Freedom" was dedicated to the 14,000 children from Cuba who came to the USA without parents. This is a picture of one of those girls. When I was 14, scared to death inside the embassy, I thought of them, especially one named Tony. As I separated from my dad, I was so hungry, filthy, and tired. This is part of chapter 5.
"At this very moment, I cry inconsolably for Tony and the other fourteen thousand Cuban children separated from their parents. Those innocent minors were later
known as âThe Pedro Pan kids.â
What if we get lost in this hostile environment? It happened to thousands of children once,
and it could happen again. As terrifying as it may seem, I must believe that my dad is doing what
he thinks is best. He probably feels like Tonyâs parents when they painfully had to let him go.
Peter Pan kids were like the lost boys but forced to grow up while still being innocent minors; opposite to the characters in the famous story, they had to grow up fast. They flew alone, and
perhaps inside each of them grew a future leader of the lost boysâ group, just like in the story.
Vicente, Laz, and I move slowly, one behind the other, holding on as if our lives depend on it. It seems like we are breaking through a human wall. Vicente opens the way, so Laz and I can
move inches at a time. We are rubbing against sweaty, smelly bodies as we move, but at least we are moving."